There are several types of leadership that can be classified according to the personal skills of those who have the responsibility to take on a project.
In this sense, leadership can be defined as the ability to manage a group activity or project. Putting into practice a series of capacities that manage to unite the participants and influence them in such a way that it is possible to achieve the proposed objectives.
Types of classical leadership
For some authors, there are 3 leadership styles that can be applied to multiple fields, and from which other classifications derive:
Traditional leadership
That which is inherited, as in the case of monarchies or family business presidencies.
Legitimate or formal leadership
In this case, the leader is chosen according to previously agreed procedures (elections, selection by a special commission, etc.).
Charismatic leadership
It is the style of leaders with a marked emotional influence on their group of followers. Many political leaders respond to this type of leadership.
Types of business leadership
In the organizational field, other forms of management have been identified according to certain personality and problem-solving patterns of team leaders. These are the most common leadership styles in companies:
Democratic leadership
It is a leadership style characterized by constant consultation with the work team, who can choose among multiple alternatives proposed by the leader.
However, this type of management can lead to greater bureaucracy or slowing down processes, since by considering so many points of view it is possible that it is difficult to make decisions that are approved by all those involved.
Dictatorial leadership
It is the style of leaders who impose their criteria and see the work team as arms executing orders, without considering their ideas or opinions.
Paternalistic leadership
Paternalistic leaders are focused on productivity, so they tend to establish dynamics of rewards and punishments among their subordinates in order to achieve the objectives.
In the long run, this type of leadership can erode team cohesion and generate competitive conflicts among team members.
Liberal leadership or laissez-faire
In this case, the leader gives ample freedom of action to the team members, so they usually make decisions on their own and go to their superior only when the circumstance warrants it.
Emotional leadership
This type of leader is characterized by having a highly developed emotional intelligence, which provides them with social skills and strengths that allow them to connect with the work team.
This leadership style is very useful in transition processes, such as branch changes, relocations, administrative restructuring processes or mergers between companies, which usually generate a lot of uncertainty among subordinates.
Transactional leadership
It is characterized because the work team accepts the leader’s directives, generally in exchange for something (a salary, a benefit, etc.). Bosses in temporary jobs usually establish this type of dynamics with their subordinates.
Authentic leadership
This is the style of the so-called natural leaders, who, without the need to be charismatic or authoritarian, manage to guide teams towards their objectives. This type of management is characterized by a deep self-knowledge of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, so that the leader has total control of his emotions and therefore can be more empathetic with his subordinates.
Longitudinal leadership
This style is typical of organizations with very rigid work dynamics. The leader is the only one who can give guidelines, and these are followed and transmitted by people who act as secondary leaders, who in turn transmit them to subordinates.
It is also known as pyramidal leadership.
Lateral leadership
This is the type of management in which the leadership of the team is shared between different leaders who have the same rank in the company. This may occur because they have the same degree of influence among the team, or because their level of experience is similar.
See also:
Types of educational leadership
In educational leadership, the school principal is assumed to be the main guide and decision maker. His or her leadership style can have a significant impact not only on the performance of teachers, who would be his or her direct subordinates, but also on the students of the institution.
Although many educational leaders may apply classical or entrepreneurial leadership styles in their management, there are three types of leadership directly related to school dynamics.
Distributed leadership
In this case, the academic director acts as an empowering agent of the teachers’ abilities. By identifying their strengths, he or she can create strategies that allow each of them to put these skills at the service of the institution.
With this type of leadership, decentralized decision-making is achieved. It also has a positive impact on the subordinates’ sense of belonging and level of participation, which ends up creating a positive dynamic for the institution.
Pedagogical leadership
This leadership style seeks that the person in charge of the educational institution goes beyond their administrative functions. Creating strategies that promote the constant updating of teachers, facilitate learning processes for students and, ultimately, generate better school performance.
Leadership for social justice
This is a leadership style that promotes equal opportunity and non-discrimination based on sex, gender, race, disability or social status for both teachers and students.
See also Difference between leader and boss.
